Partnering with young people to address the mental health crisis: From research to action.

Young people face a growing mental health crisis complicated by limited access to care. Youth-led participatory action research has the potential to improve youth mental health outcomes by engaging young people in developing sustainable solutions. Current youth-led participatory action research frameworks require ongoing youth engagement that can exclude marginalized young people. To address this gap, Born This Way Foundation and Hopelab implemented a multiphase, cluster-based approach to youth-engaged research offering varied opportunities for engagement of marginalized youth across three phases. Youth-adult partnerships were integrated throughout (a) instrument development and interpretation, (b) convening and dissemination, and (c) creation of action-oriented resources. This approach produced action-oriented, community-facing resources. To advance equity, health psychologists must commit to engaging diverse samples of young people, connecting them with trusted adults, and ensuring their collective perspectives shape decisions and actions across sectors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).